Polyhalomethanes combined with aluminum halides in one-step syntheses of carbonyl-containing compounds from alkanes and cycloalkanes

Data on new-generation superelectrophiles containing polyhalomethanes and aluminum halides are generalized. These systems open up broad prospects for organic syntheses based on alkanes and cycloalkanes. With these systems, reactions of various alkanes and cycloalkanes with CO were performed for the first time. Superelectrophiles underlay the development of new one-pot methods for the synthesis of carbonyl-containing compounds of various classes from readily available alkanes (or cycloalkanes) and CO. The reactions are usually selective and give the target products in high yields.